Needle table for padding of pattern fabrics

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for padding of pattern fabrics wherein said padding and fabric are supported upon a table having a plurality of holes or aperatures or the like to permit the passage of a plurality of needles positioned beneath said table. The holes or aperatures serve as guiding means for the needles as they are raised for the purpose of penetrating the padding and fabric.

o 1 1 United States Patent 1191 1111 3,73,72 Glasman et al. p Jan. 8,1974 1 NEEDLE TABLE FOR PADDING OF 1,219,935. 3/1917 Gorton 74/104 x 1PATTERN FABRICS 173,587 2/1876 Clarke 1,806.434 5/1931 Wilczek [76]Inventors: Leon Glasman, 30 Boulevard de 3, 11 47 10 1971 ClifrStrasbourg, Paris; Jean 0. Prioux, 3 2,355,454 8/1944 Lucius Villa de1"Alliance, Sannois, both 1,279,851 9/1918 Dunlap 83/620 X of France F1d. M 15 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS ay 3,177 0/1877 GreatBritain 83/628 [21] App]. No.: 253,621

Primary Examiner.l. M. Meister [30] Foreign Application Priority DataAtt0rney-Kemon, Palmer& Estabrook May 14, 1971 France ..71l7465 [52] us.c1 83/620, 83/631, 83/633, A STR CT [51] Int Cl I An apparatus forpadding of pattern fabrics wherein [58] Fie'ld 660 620 said padding andfabric are supported upon a table 1 having a plurality of holesoraperatures or the like to b 74/89 permit the passage of a plurality ofneedles positioned beneath said table. The holes or aperatures serve asguiding means for the needles as they are raised for [56] g gilg gii thepurpose of penetrating the padding and fabric.

2,323,769 7/1943 Hansen 83/2 X 3 Claims, 2 Drawing FigureslllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllJ/llllllll j PATENTEDJAN 8 m43783.728

FIG.2

NEEDLE TABLE FOR PADDING OF PATTERN FABRICS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe padding of pattern fabric or laminating of fabric and padding hasbeen carried out heretofore utilizing a stationary upper horizontalplate or supporting surface that is provided with suitable openings andupon which are placed the padding and fabric. A second horizontal plateor supporting surface is arranged beneath the upper plate and in spacedparallel relation therewith. The second plate or supporting surface isusually provided with a cradle made up of acoil spring that is designedto receive a plurality of needles.

The upper plate or supporting surface is customarily formed with aplurality of slots which are adapted to permit the needles mounted onthe second plate to pass therethrough upon the raising or moving of thesecond plate towards the upper plate. The use of slots in the upperplate or supporting surface results in certain short comings beingcreated in an application of this type. The use of slots in the upperplate definitely limits the number of openings that may be providedwithin a prescribed area due to the shape or configuration of the slotthus resulting in the use of fewer needles than might be desirable ornecessary. In addition, the configuration of the slot results in theneedle being guided SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention isdirected to the concept of improving a needle table for the padding ofpattern fabrics wherein a greater number of needles may be employedmaking it possible to achieve all of the desired designs on the fabricto be treated.

An object of the present invention is to provide plate or supportingsurface with suitable openings or aperatures which will act as guidesfor the needles and thereby overcome the risk or tendency of the needlesto twist or bend when entering the padding and fabric.

Another object is to provide a needle table having a reciprocatingsecond plate or supporting surface that is free and devoid of any meansfor holding or attaching the needles thereto. Such an arrangementgreatly facilitates the placing or remov ing of the needles dependentupon the pattern that it is desired to achieve in the fabric.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thestationary upper plate or supporting surface of a needle table embodyingthe present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, partly in section, of a needletable embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT There is shown in the drawing astationary upper plate or supporting surface 1 having a plurality ofholes or openings 11 which are formed in the entire area of said plate.The plate or supporting surface I is positioned upon suitable framemembers I2 which constitute a support for the plates of the needletable. The holes or openings 11 formed in the plate I may be of theorder of 2,500 per square meter which readily permits the achieving ofall desired designs on the fabric and padding, not shown, which arepositioned upon said plate or supporting surface. The plate orsupporting surface I has positioned there beneath in spaced parallelrelation thereto a lower plate or supporting surface 2 that is disposedin suitable guideways in the frame member 12, not shown, to facilitateits movement toward and away from upper plate 1. The lower plate 2 isadapted to receive and support a plurality of needles 3 which areintroduced through the holes or openings 11 in the plate I. The needles3 are free of any clamps or holdings means on the plate 2 and throughtheir own weight are supported upon the plate 2 as they are droppedthrough the openings 11 in the plate 1. The holes or openings 11 in theplate 1 as distinguished from the slots of the prior art structures,provide a guiding means for the needles in not only the loading of theneedle table but in the reciprocatory movement of theneedles into andout of the padding and fabric.

The frame members 12 are adapted to support be neath the plate 2 and bysuitable bearing means 13 a horizontally disposed rod 4 which hasthreaded end portions 6 and 6. The threads 6 are designed to run in onedirection while the threads 6 run in the opposite direction. A crank 5is'mounted on one end of the' rod 4. The threaded portion 6 of the rod 4is provided with a complimentary nut 7 while a similar type of nut 7 isthreaded on the portion 6' of the rod 4. The nuts 7 and 7' each haveconnected thereto by means of a pivotal type connection one end of alever or arm 8 and 8' respectively. The free ends of the levers or arms8 and 8' have secured thereto in a plane normal to the longitudinal axisof said levers or arms a second leveror arm 14 and 14 respectively. Theends of the arms 8 and 14 as well as the ends of the arms 8 and 14 aresecured to one another by suitable bolts or pins 9 and 9' respectivelyso that said arms are maintained in the rigid right angle relationshipto one another at all times. The free ends of the levers or arms 14 and14 are provided with rollers 10 and II), respectively, which are adaptedto engage the lower surface of the plate 2.

In the use of the needle table of the present invention the needles 3are dropped through the holes 11 so that an end of each needle restsupon the upper surface of the lower plate 2. The design or pattern thatis to be employed is determined by thearrangement of the needles in theholes 11 in plate 1. After the needles are positioned in the holes 11the padding and fabric are then placed on the table I after which thecrank 5 is rotated causing the nuts 7 and 7 to move in the direction ofthe arrows of FIG. 2. The movement of the nuts 7 and 7 causes the arms8-14 and 8'44 and in turn the plate 2 to move in the direction of thearrows in FIG. 2. The

' movement of the plate 2 towards the plate 1 causes the .the plate 2will be lowered from the plate 1 through its own weight. The needles 3may then be manually removed through the holes 11 and rearranged bysimply dropping them through the holes 11 onto the plate 2 dependentupon the pattern or design to be followed.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of formed with aplurality of holes, said upper plate' adapted to receive the fabricthereon, a lower plate carried by said frame and arranged in spacedparallel relation to said upper plate, a plurality of needles insertedinto the holes in said upper plate and having an end thereof freelyengaging said lower plate and means on gaging said lower plate raisingsame towards said upper plate to move said needles through said holesand into engagement with the fabric on said upper plate.

2. A needle table for padding fabric as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid holes in the upper plate constitute guides for said needles wherebysaid needles will not bend or twist upon engaging the fabric.

3. A needle table for padding fabrics as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid means includes an elongated rod having threaded end portions withthreads on one end portion running in one direction and the threads onthe other end portion running in the opposite direction, a nut threadedon each end portion of said rod and a pair of bell cranks carried bysaid frame member and having an end of each bell crank connected to oneof said nuts with a roller on the other end of each bell crank forengagement with said lowersplate.

1. A needle table for padding fabrics comprising a frame member with astationary horizontally disposed upper plate positioned thereon, saidupper plate being formed with a plurality of holes, said upper plateadapted to receive the fabric thereon, a lower plate carried by saidframe and arranged in spaced parallel relation to said upper plate, aplurality of needles inserted into the holes in said upper plate andhaving an end thereof freely engaging said lower plate and meansengaging said lower plate raising same towards said upper plate to movesaid needles through said holes and into engagement with the fabric onsaid upper plate.
 2. A needle table for padding fabric as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said holes in the upper plate constitute guides for saidneedles whereby said needles will not bend or twist upon engaging thefabric.
 3. A needle table for padding fabrics as set forth in claim 1wherein said means includes an elongated rod having threaded endportions with threads on one end portion running in one direction andthe threads on the other end portion running in the opposite direction,a nut threaded on each end portion of said rod and a pair of bell crankscarried by said frame member and having an end of each bell crankconnected to one of said nuts with a roller on the other end of eachbell crank for engagement with said lower plate.